Purly Qs

Blog Vacation

2008-05-19T14:39:00.006-05:00

With the warm weather approaching, I realize I need a bit of a vacation from blogging. Not that I was consistent. I hardly finished any projects in a long time. I haven't spent much time spinning, knitting, and I've not sewn anything worth while in almost a year. I want to take this break to get reacquainted with the crafts I love . . . and taking on new ones. I also bought a Nikon D80 with the tuition reimbursement from Amazon's Kindergarten in Massachusetts. I want to get acquainted with it and take a ton of pictures of the things I make and do this summer.

We bought Moose a bike, so he and his sister can go bike riding while we run behind them. Both kids took the bike out this Sunday and had a blast with their Dad, while I took pictures of them and marveled at how fast this camera is.

And the colors are amazing. This is without post processing, which I almost always had to do with my point and shoot. I never could get any nice shots of the kids because of shutter lag. I am thrilled.

The blog vacation won't be long; just enough to catch up with things I really want to accomplish, and not feel this self-imposed pressure to photograph and write about it. Once the Heartland is knit and blocked, I will post. Once I finish California Dreamin', I will post. Once my Rose arrives from New Zealand, I will post. Once I get the Hedera socks knit on US 1 needles, I will post. Once I complete my first real quilt, I will post. Once I make all the smocks, embroidered tea towels, basket liners, kitchen hot pads and gloves, I will post. And finally, once I get the courage to plan and sew flannel swaddling blankets, all in one diapers, and nursery decorations, I will post (I am 16 weeks, and have some time).

Until then . . .

Enjoy your summer days!

Quarter Flats Invade

2008-05-09T13:35:00.005-05:00

There is a .99 cents sale at Joanns; Moose and I just so happened to find that sale. I bought $9 worth of Fat Quarters/Quarter Flats. It was a happy day. I was able to find fabric to coordinate with the second quilt top that I plan to piece together soon.

This is the original set of 5 quarter flats that were already precut into 3.5" . . .

It is a pretty wacky combination of prints and colors, but they appeal to my colorful craving. I am pleased to have found these coordinating prints and colors.

I have to cut out squares. Then I will arrange and sew together.

Once that is done, I have to figure out the backing and the binding. I am not quite sure if those will be a solid or print. We shall see.

DIY: Lace Drop Spindle

2008-05-08T10:04:00.008-05:00

Over the years, I've been desperately wanting to buy a lace drop spindle. I wish for a Bosworth lace spindle, and despite living two towns from the Bosworths when I lived in Massachusetts, I never bought one. I quit drop spindling when I got the Babe in 2005. I didn't have the heart to drop spindle on clunky Ashford and Louet wooden drop spindles. This became especially so when I started spinning laceweight.

Today, as I was organizing my crafts into categories (knitting, spinning, sewing), I came upon my old DIY drop spindles. Well, I'd only found the dowels with the hook because Moose disassembled the CDs from the dowel. The CDs and the grommets were in my office. I had a notion that I would make a Lace Drop Spindle. How?

I stole 2 of Moose's Mini DVDs that we'd purchased from a discount store; I think it was bought at Treasure Island. The Mini DVD measures at 3 " diameter (the Bosworth is 2"), and the regular DVD or CD measures in at almost 5" diameter. I inserted the grommet. I then slipped it onto the dowel.

I took a piece of handcarded Merino rolag that I'd prepared from a 2 lb fleece, and I started spindling and created it's own leader. The DIY spindle spins wonderfully. I am so pleased. What I will do is cut the dowel smaller. It is still about 12", but I will cut it down to 7.5". Then I am thinking of changing the hook to a much smaller one, which will reduce the weight of the spindle. Maybe a wire hook that I can modify to suit my style. Once I make the modifications, I will see if it is a good weight for a lace drop spindle--between 10-14 grams.

I am thinking that I may take it on as a project to spin laceweight out of this fleece from this lace spindle; much like a laceweight for an Orenburg shawl. It should be an interesting long term project.

Mach 1 Spinning Wheels

2008-05-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was doing some bloglines searches for spinning wheels. I came upon the Mach 1 Spinning Wheel designed and produced by SpinOlution. They created a demonstration video on YouTube that is a must see. Ask the Bellwether is a vendor and she wrote a review of the wheel. There is also one for sale on Etsy.

photo courtesy of SpinOlution

What intrigues me is the design. There are other wheels that have a similar size and shape to it, but not quite the same. This wheel has a sort of pendulum or metronome movement. It also has a braking system. There is no orifice hole on the flyer and uses a pegging system. Humongous bobbins, which can hold a lot of fiber. It is compact looking, sleek, and darn right pretty. If only I hadn't just paid my Rose off. Darn it! Dh saw the video and he said, "that thing must cost a fortune!" Oh no, it costs $495 for an unfinished version and $595 for a clear varnish, and additional cost for extra bobbins.

Check it out for yourself. Tell me what you think of the design and demonstration.

Slow Knitting Week

2008-05-06T08:54:00.007-05:00

I am still trying to get settled into this rental home. We are planning on staying here for over the year lease; perhaps, three years? But it is taking quite a bit of time to unpack and figure out where everything should go in a home that isn't ours; I can't put up a new closet system, or shelving system without investing a lot of money into someone else's equity. I thought about buying some armoires, but that means more furniture that we would have to lug away; especially, the garage. The garage needs some benches and closets to store items that shouldn't be accessible. There are nothing but bare walls, which not a true garage it makes--in my handy woman's book. And what if I buy our dream home or make a purchased home into a dream home, then there will be a ton of furniture to sell or give away.

I have found bits of time to knit on the last two projects. Here is the Heartland in all it's Chart II glory. There are so many stitches that I am at the point where a few rows at a time seems like a big accomplishment. Here I am purling, which is such a mindless relief from all the YOs and S1K2PSSO. Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE lace knitting but I needed another project to break up the monotony.

So Hedera took up the bulk of my time last week and the weekend. Well, I am not a gauge swatcher or checker. You can guess where I am going with this. I am using US 2 DPNs. The pattern calls for US 1. Well, my smarty-pants-self figured that using a US 2 would make it a tad less snug than Cookie A's usual designs. As much as I loved Monkey socks, I definitely could have used a size larger needle.

The ribbed lace design is very stretchy, and so I could have used a US 1. The plan is to frog. Yes, frog. I hate frogging. I feel time is wasted. Time I don't have. But I want an end product with this yarn, and I want it to be Hedera. So I am biting the bullet, finding my US 1 DPNS, and getting to work on it at the end of the week. I first want to get to Chart III on Heartland, so I can bind off.

I also have to put a dent on the California Dreamin Bobbin #2. I set up the second bobbin and spun on some fiber, but it has sat idle for about a week or so. There is a Season of Lace Summer of 2008 KAL happening on Ravelry. So, I would love to get in on the action. I have a bit of time to prepare, but I have to get the bobbin spun, plied, and set way before the start date.

And one last thing. I have to get my fiber stash inventoried. I have made the final payment on the Rose, and she will be home soon. That means getting acquainted with a lot of fiber. Yippee! But let me just say, that I a lot of that fiber would be great carded.

Gone in 60 seconds . . .

2008-05-05T10:48:00.004-05:00

You leave your husband with his first male son, and you take your dd to the local Green expo to buy a reduced price compost bin. You spend an hour driving around Madison to find this place because you forgot your Madison map at home. Once you find the place, you stand in a long line for another hour, enduring cold and eventually, rain. You spend only $41 dollars, and have a plan to save your environment and ultimately your wallet by composting your organic waste and using it in the landscaping and future gardening. And you come home to this,

Dh and son went to the local electronics store and purchased this lovely 50" Plasma. Boys and their toys. The federal economic stimulus money wasn't even deposited into our account before the purchase was made. It wasn't planned, but I am not surprised. I am not mad. I got to enjoy a copious amount of TV this weekend. And we finally got to have our Saturday night movie night; The Waterhorse. I got to see Transformers. To cap off last night, we watched Juno. Between cooking and TV watching, I don't know which was better. Well, maybe the eating was better.

Knitting content soon.

A Harlot, Lace, and Poker

2008-04-29T08:08:00.008-05:00

The Yarn Harlot spoke at the local Borders in Madison. I was torn between going and not because dh is in Las Vegas for a Golf thing, and I don't have a babysitter to watch my crazy "minions" (dh's term of endearment). I decided that I would pile my purse with sweets and go to the 7:00 p.m. speaking engagement.

After she takes her audience picture with the sock, she starts her hilarious speech. She is so funny and smart. A very quick wit.

My favorite question and answer of the night was, "What did you do before writing the books [on knitting]?" Her response was that despite her abundant education she wasn't qualified to do anything else. That is exactly how I feel about myself. Good to know I am not alone, but she has done quite well for herself.

Once the kids started acting unruly--when the sugar set in, we left. It was about 8:30 p.m. and dd needed to get to bed for Kindergarten the next morning.

I've been working on two things: The Heartland Lace Shawl, and I started on Hedera in honor of the Harlot. I wanted to have something to take a picture of me and her, but I never got so close. The place was packed and we stood or sat on the floor for most of it. I knew that the lines for signatures would be too long, and the kids would never be patient enough to stay longer.

The Heartland Lace shawl is in the midst of the 5th repeat of Chart II. I am doing 6 repeats instead of the pattern's 4 repeats. I want it a bit bigger and I am sure I have a lot of yarn for the extra repeats. Even if I don't, I've put in lifelines when I had to frog and repeat the shawl. I miraculously was able to finally visualize the pattern while knitting rows and have memorized the pattern per row. So that means less glancing at the chart.

Hedera is a very sweet lace pattern. I love how easy to memorize it is, and I don't have to glance at the chart while watching Poker. Yes, going back to the title, I am obsessed with Poker. I've been watching it on TV for the past 3 weeks. I've never played the game. I never knew anything about it. I haven't said anything to anyone because it sounds nutty. Who in the heck would surf the cable channels to find World Poker Tour shows? Who would ever watch men sit around a table and bet millions of dollars worth of chips on 2 cards and wait for the "flop" and the tense buildup to see the "river" card. Yes, I am even learning Poker terminology. I am truly a crazy, pregnant lady.

Not Sure Anymore . . .

2008-04-27T09:58:00.009-05:00

This is my BFL handspun

This is Skacel Commercially spun and plyed laceweight yarn.

Here is a side by side comparison of the skeins

Here is a side by side comparison of the twist of my skein on the left and skacel on the right.

And another

No matter the comparison, seemingly similar, there are distinct differences. My skein weighs about 4.2 oz. The Skacel skein is 100g, which is about 3.5 oz. My BFL skein feels a lot heavier and loftier than the Merino Skacel. The Skacel skein has about 1375 yards. My skein measured in at 737 yards. A mistake? I sincerely don't know. When all of you started giving me yardage numbers, I questioned my method of counting the yardage. And I'd remembered the Skacel skein and compared it; somewhat, I didn't compare WPI.

My method is to count a strand of the skein after I've removed it from my 60" wrapped Niddy Noddy. I then calculate how many strands are in the skein, multiplied by 60"; and then divided by 36" in a yard. When I've removed smaller skeins, about 2 oz or so, it appears that I've calculated the amount correctly. But I got to thinking that all the strands wrapped on top of a large amount of other strands would cause a margin of un-calculated inches, which become a bunch of un-calculated yardage.

I went on a hunt for a yardage counter--an inexpensive one. I tried building one from a tutorial, but the actual wheel that assists in the measure is more than 4 inches and it never held the yarn correctly. I called all the local yarn shops in this area, but none had a yardage counter. They did have the balancing thing, but I really wanted something more "accurate"; if there is such a thing. I went online to the Babe store, which was nixed right away because it was more than $50. I read about the ultra-expensive Schacht one--Yeah, in my dreams. But I remembered that there was one made by the same company that made my WPI tool. I just couldn't remember the name of the site. I finally found it. It is a Yarn Meter that is under $50. Now, I can get with that. But of course, I wouldn't have it in time for this contest. And I couldn't stall any longer. I am going to set the close date of the contest as 4/11/08 when I posted about our arrival in Madison; sorry, to everyone who posted after that date. I hope you will enter any future contests.

So I am declaring . . .

THE AKA MAI KNITTER---OPAL

the winner of the Shaved Ice Yardage Contest. She guessed 842 yards, and she will be receiving a Spinner's prize. I hope you like it Opal. Congrats! And Thanks for playing.

I will be sure to have a count that is a bit more accurate next time--maybe a contest for when I go into labor and have to go to the hospital--yippee! And once I find out the true measure of the Shaved Ice skein, I will let y'all know.

One Step Closer

2008-04-25T11:19:00.003-05:00

My spinning wheel was packed away in a garment box along with my clothes, so I was able to find it very quickly. I've been spinning bits and pieces on bobbin 1 of California Dreamin. I didn't have much to go. I finished the first bobbin a couple nights ago, and started on the second bobbin.

I am loving the colors on this top. I plan to knit Laminaria with this potential two-ply. I can't wait to get Bobbin 2 spun and the two bobbins plyed. I am still plugging away at Heartland. I still have lofty goals of completing it by May 1st.

I have found my Shaved Ice handspun and another commercial spun yarn, so I can write up a post and select a winner. Tomorrow. I promise. I have no more closing paperwork to do on the house, so my head can concentrate on fun stuff from here on out.

Obsession, Revisited . . .

2008-04-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

I've had this long standing obsession with creating quilts. It first started when I was 13 and my good friend's, Dorothy, mother gave me fabric and quilting books (among other crafty things). Over the years, I've become all "gung ho" about it, and I buy fabric to start a project. I cut squares. I piece together. I may even get to quilt the top, middle, and bottom. But I've never completed a quilt. I cut squares for a "memory quilt" for my dd when she was months old . . . she is now 6-years old. I am 3/4 finished with my son's flannel blankie quilt, but I have to bind it. This obsession isn't helped by reading some amazing quilter's projects (Necia, is an enabler--and she will deny it--just wait for her to comment, you'll see!). Then I go into this hormone induced rant about my ever growing stash and how I won't buy one stitch more of any type of fiber. That lasted a weekend.

But then I go exploring my surroundings in Madison. If I left it up to my 4-year-old Moose, he wouldn't leave the house. We go to Odana Road in Madison where I find a Hancock Fabric and a Joanns. Now, ask yourself, "Could I pass up fat squares at $1.99 or even $1.49?" Of course not! I started off with two fat squares that I bought about 5 years ago. I saw 4 colors at Joann's that would go perfectly with those old quilt squares. And today, I bought 4 more from Hancock. I have about 8 fat squares to buy to make a not-quite-crib-but-not-yet-a twin quilt. Basically it is a nice quilt to cover ourselves with while watching our Saturday night movies together.

I also cut out pieces for another abandoned project, which was intended as placemats for the kids, but will become a small quilt. I need to piece them together. . . when I find the sewing machine. Gosh, where is that thing?

Excuse the Nuttiness

2008-04-18T15:42:00.004-05:00

With unpacking; losing vital documents; putting a Kindergartener in a new and larger school; doing the contracts for the sale of the house in MA; gestating; a husband whose busiest time doesn't end with the hockey season (he is Florida bound tomorrow for a few days--lucky him!); and trying to maintain my sanity, I am having a tough time getting back into the swing of things around this blog. I enjoy sharing my trials and tribulations of my crafting (like having to frog and restart Heartland Lace with lifelines and stitch markers), but can't find the time to compose a good post.

The full dining room table above is proof of my crafting gone awry. This is HALF of my craft stash. The remainder is in the basement where this stuff will go. It is a full finished basement, but not finished enough to create a sewing/storage room. I have a plan to create a craft room in the dining room, but everything will be behind doors. The goal is to put everything in a closet and pull things out as needed. So when I want to sew, I have a large surface area to work on, and I can put it all back in the same place when done. I don't have to lug things from the basement to upstairs and back. Especially when I get larger, and that has started (goodbye 7 out of the 15 lbs lost, albeit for a good cause).

I have a lot of lofty goals too. Like using the things I have and not buying anymore, dare I say it, fabric or fiber--well, for a while. And I still have to get my spinning wheel out of layaway for my Birthday on May 1, but that I consider equipment and not stash. I think this will be the Spring and Summer of whittling down all the stuff that I've accumulated over the years when I got into a creative-manic disorder. There is so much inspiration in the blog world that I now feel I have to actually spend more time creating than viewing and reading.

I will soon select a winner. I first have to sort my knitting and spinning stash to get the winner's prize. That should be done this weekend while I am having quiet time with the kiddos. Thanks for your patience and your readership. It means a lot.

Cutting Corners Cast On

2008-04-15T09:45:00.006-05:00

When I decided to start the Heartland Lace Shawl, I needed to have waste yarn to cast on live stitches for the beginning of the neck. The concept is to chain cast on 4 stitches and in the two middle stitches (the bump) of the chain, you pick up one stitch in each to start the initial 6 rows, then a seventh row, which requires you to pick up three stitches on each of the chains created by the stockinette. Ultimately, you zip off the chained waste yarn, pick up the two live stitches and knit into them; thereby having 7 stitches total. Well, this is easy enough to do, but I didn't have waste yarn. And quite frankly, I didn't want to be bothered with the whole process. So I figured I would cast on differently.

I do a long tail cast on of 4 stitches.

My thought is that the long tail simulates the edges created by the waste yarn method.

I cast on 4 stitches. Two stiches will be knit in stockinette for six (6) rows.

The remaining two stitches will be dormant on the needle until I pick them up later.

Keep knitting until you have reached the 6th row. Then you want to make a seventh row so you can pick up stitches on the left side of the stockinette chain.

You will pick up 3 stitches in each of the chained-like rows created by the stockinette.

Then pick up the two remaining stiches on your left hand needle. Those were the stitches that remained dormant during all that stockinette and picking up.

Once your are done picking up, you will have seven (7) stitches.

Two stitches to the right will be the beginning stitches that continue to be knit on the right and the wrong side. This is usually followed by a YO, then the third stitch to the right starts the right-side design, and YO. The middle stitch is the center stitch, which is knit. After the center stitch, YO, and go to the fifth stitch, which starts the left-side design, and a YO. Then you have the remaining two stitches that are also knit on the right and wrong sides. I usually use stitch markers to indicate the sections. It helps a lot . . . trust me.

And there you have my cutting corners cast on for a triangular shawl. I hope this is a help.

On another note, I have not gone back to select a winner. I lost my Passport holder that contained my passport, birth certificate, SS card, and each of the two kids birth certificate. I always put it in my "Emergency File Box"; which is my run there is fire and you need to take your documents container. I swear I had it in there. But it isn't. I don't want to say that it was stolen during the third-party packing, but my gut says it was.

I was distraught all day yesterday and had one restless night. I have to register dd in school. The bad part is we were all born in various parts of NY State and not every county or town handles Vital Statistics in the same manner. I also have to report all this stuff missing, so as to prevent identity theft. I am so sad that we live in a world that our personal documents, in the wrong hands, can damage our existence. This is when I wish we had a national reporting system for when these things happen--yes, the lawyer comes out when I feel threatened. Aaargh!

New Beginnings . . .

2008-04-11T13:14:00.002-05:00

We made it to Madison, WI on Thursday, April 3. It was a long trek through the states to the midwest. The longest state was Pennsylvania. All that could go wrong during our two day trek did: the dvd didn't work; dh forgot the key to the ski rack and we had to buy a soft bag, which was soaked through during many rain storms; we were cramped in the car; my brakes were failing; my windshield was cracked because of an errant rock--I could go on, but I will spare you. The best part was that we were finally together since late January. It was nice to be a family again.

The new house isn't quite what I expected. I am used to minimalist decor and colors--neutrals is my thing, and this house has a ton of flowery, fruity, and animally wall paper, along with the wall to wall carpet in fuschia, pink, blue, and forest green. Our allergies have hit an all time high. Yesterday, the kids were diagnosed with allergies and put on medication to relieve their discomfort (hacking).

I was desperate to start a new shawl. D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E. The first full day in Madison, I got directions to the local yarn shop and took the kids to buy US 4 circulars. I really wanted to try the Lace Addis. I made my purchase after a quick browse around the store. I quickly drove to the hotel to start knitting this up . . .

The yarn cake and pattern were burning a hole in my purse during the packing, loading, and travel. I kept pulling the cake out and reading the pattern. I was thrilled to get started on it on Friday, April 4th. I got Chart I done and part of Chart II. A few days of knitting row after row, and I still wasn't memorizing or quite "getting" the pattern. Usually, I can visualize the pattern, so that I know to anticipate the next steps or the next row. But this baffled me.

The Heartland Lace Shawl pattern (details on Ravelry) isn't difficult, but keeps me on my toes. I've had to refer to finished pictures on Ravelry to "get" the pattern and ensure that I was on the right track. So far so good, but I've put it down for a few days while we moved into the house, get basic services, go to the doctors, and unpack. I will have my first prenatal visit next week. Dd will hopefully return to Kindergarten. I hope to get this house in somewhat of an order this weekend while dh is away on business. Yes, I can hardly believe it is back to business as usual.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Shaved Ice Contest. I will announce the winner on Monday. I just got internet services up today, and I am so happy to finally be reviewing all the feeds (577) that I've missed in less than two weeks. You all have too much faith in my spinning--I almost wanted to fudge my results. But I shall be truthful and select the one closest to my small number. Thanks, again.

Moving Contest!

2008-03-29T07:05:00.005-05:00

Since I will be incommunicado for at least 2 weeks. I will hold a contest while I am gone. My regular readers should know the drill.

Your duty is to guess the yardage of this skein of BFL handspun by me. The specs that may be relevant to your guess are:

WPI: 28

Weight: 4.2 oz

Please leave a comment on this post about your guess--THE YARDAGE. Please include you choice of either a spinner or a knitter's prize, so I may try to send you the appropriate gift. Thanks for playing, and see you when I get to Madison. Yippee!

No Brake

2008-03-26T11:54:00.006-05:00

Despite doing a lot of purging, recycling, freecycling and donating, I am still attempting to spin Bobbin #1 of California Dreamin'. Progress is slow, and let me explain why.

When I spin laceweight, I employ two methods to reduce the drag: the lacing method and the loose brake band. After completing the first spun pass of going from back to front on any laceweight handspun, I tend to stop using the lacing method, and I may readjust the brake band to accomodate the intake need. However, in this case of the Soy, I am still lacing and the brake band is not just loose, but it is . . .

completely off the flyer. I am also still lacing the bobbin, despite spinning from the front of the bobbin to the back. The intake is perfect. I am not feeling the tugging action that I was when I first started this bobbin.

I have about an 18" sliver remaining, and I am hoping to finish bobbin #1 by the weekend. I may not start bobbin #2 until our things arrive and are unpacked in Madison because packing day is on Monday, March 31st. I will be packing the wheel myself. I wish it could fit in the stationwagon, but I have to make room for the dog, I guess.

Simplifying

2008-03-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

I'm nesting about 7 months early. Last week was spent getting rid of the excess of anything unusable to us. I went about the kitchen and gathered the extra set of cookware, and I gave it to my Mom. I went about the cupboards and got rid of the six sets of mis-matched Corelle dishes that dh and I combined when we moved in together over 10 years ago. I pulled out the brown dishware that I liked 5 years ago, but have come to never use; especially after Moose threw a dish at his sister in a rage and broke it to pieces (that will go to my Aunt, who is a terrific cook and has a hundred guests at her house every weekend).

I went through the glassware that was given to us on our wedding day, which we never really used, and I got rid of a lot of mis-matched mugs from dh's travels and gifted from various organizations--waiting to go to the Salvation Army (the third trip in a week). All the plastic ware that was riddled with pasta sauce splotches, extra zoo pals flatware, and extra sippy cups were recycled, leaving room for the glass cooking and storage I purchased long ago from Martha--I will try to be more environmentally conscious from now on. The flatware, which was also mis-matched and stained (ironic, as it was stainless), went to donation.

I quick trip (and a meltdown from Moose) resulted in a set for 12 by Corelle. The dishes are a Frosted Winter White: bowls with lids for storage, mugs, small dish, dishes, and two serving platters. I also bought new flatware called, "Madison"; a very simple pattern. And a bunch of plastic tumblers in large and small.

My quest for simplifying has been a long one. I am a minimalist. Dh is a pack rat; he reminds me everyday not to get rid of his things. I saw how much excess we are living with when a lovely Japanese couple, who will be working in my area visited my house last week for rental possibility, and after seeing the excess things in the garage commented on how "simple" they are because it is just the two of them. I've always admired Japanese culture for this reason, and I realized that even though there are 4 of us (soon to be 5), we don't need to live with things we don't love, need or use.

Junk

2008-03-17T07:31:00.003-05:00

I will be knee deep in purging and preparing for the move--in two weeks. Yikes! Thankfully, all I have to really do is to purge because the moving company will be handling the packing. Yes!

So this is what I have to contend with for the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck!

Soy is Scary!

2008-03-12T14:43:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is! I don't care what you think about it being so pretty, smooth and shiny. That silky piece of eye candy can drive a spinner mad. I sit at the wheel with a ton of anxiety. A T-O-N of anxiety. Why do I spin it then? Because it is "so pretty, smooth and shiny," of course.

I haven't gotten far. A couple of wonderful readers explained to me that the intended pattern would not be suited for laceweight; it has a cabling detail in the pattern that is better suited for fingering weight. Ce la vie! I am trying to figure out another pattern.

I am not hard pressed because the goal is to spin this fiber and then handknit a shawl. I have a second skein of handspun for a designated shawl, which would be first on the needles. Well, second, if I can get my act together and finish Juno Regina this season.

In an effort to live positively, I won't delve into the things that wake me up at night and cause me to watch old movies at 3 a.m; especially disturbing ones.

California Dreamin!

2008-03-06T15:37:00.004-06:00

This is 4 oz of Soy Silk from Conjoined Creations. I split this top into equal weights and am spinning onto 2 bobbins.

Once finished, I will ply the fine singles into laceweight for the Mystic Light KAL. This KAL will start March 26. I figure I have plenty of time to finish the yarn. However, I am concerned that I may not have enough yardage. We shall see *fingers and toes crossed*!

And "thank you" so much for your well wishes. It means a tremendous bunch!

A Missing Post . . .

2008-03-04T17:52:00.005-06:00

is not the only thing missing around here:

Yeah, it is what it is! I am in semi-denial (but eating, resting, and taking prenatal vitamins) until I get the prenatal check up in April when we move to Wisconsin. On, Wisconsin!

I have done some craftiness, but not much. Behold:

This is Lollipop Superwash. One skein. It is Navajo Plied laceweight single. There is such a thing as spinning too thin. I must learn to gauge it better to get a nicer fingering weight.

This is about 220 yards of lace to fingering weight. I didn't measure WPI, but it is a bit thinner than my favorite sock yarn. The plan is to knit this and the other bobbin (when plied) into knee socks for Amazon. I do like how the colors blended in the chaining process. It is super energized, as you can see in the above photo. I don't think it will relax any further during the setting of the twist. I do like spinning a very energized sock yarn, but this may be too much.

Two. Two. Two Posts in One!

2008-02-20T12:08:00.005-06:00

I promised to post all this week. I was supposed to work a full work week, but with the High School being on vacation, that meant that the server and phones were disconnected. I am home for the remainder of the week.

Amazon is at Nana's. Max is in preschool. And I spent yesterday doing our Taxes. Yes, as you can imagine, I was STRESSED.

I apologize for not posting, but I will put what would've been two posts into one.

I started knitting Amazon a pair of socks. I found a nice pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, by Charlene Schurch. The pattern is called Little Shell Rib in the Five Stitch Pattern chapter. I loved the little pattern and figure it will be great for little girl socks. My only mistake is casting on too many stitches--and that is big. I measured Amazon's foot and thought I was on target, but I forget that ribbing really stretches. Let's just say that this sock will fit me, and I have the widest feet that Man has known. Poor frogged, "Shelly".

I have another project that is being revisited. I fixed the "K2" mistake that I made in Juno Regina. I combined two stitches, which causes the pattern to be one less stitch on the left side. I had to drop stitches for several rows . . . SEVERAL. But I got it fixed. And it is back to the swing of knitting in stockinette with YOs for another 25 inches.

The Chart that I am on requires knitting 42" of lacy stockinette before starting the next lacy, diamond design. I've knit a few rows at night because I have so many other things I want to accomplish in the month of February. February is "way" too short of a month.

Bali Sunrise

2008-02-18T07:31:00.003-06:00

Inspired by this wonderful book, I have pulled out my Conjoined Creations roving and plan on spinning Bobbin #2 of the soy-silk color way, Flower Power. I made the suggestion that we spin in February to knit in March, so now I am scrambling to figure what I will knit in March.

My first thought was to spin to knit for the Mystic Light KAL. However, I realized that the yardage required was under 800 yards; much to little for the yardage I would get from the final skein. I don't want to have the remainder go to waste. And I don't think I will knit two Mystic Light shawls. I do love the idea of this color, and will try to find an appropriate pattern. Any ideas?

Dyeing with Dylon

2008-02-17T12:20:00.008-06:00

I discovered Dylon dyes at my local Joann store. It was one of those things that I figured could be used for wool. The instructions state that dyeing wool with Dylon would cause the color to be lighter. But that didn't deter me. I like subtle colors, and I wanted to experiment with different color combinations.

I've assembled an assortment of colors from various trips to different Joann stores. There are some colors that I could never find, but I learned that there are some color combinations that can be created with use from a color wheel. Also, there are online tools that can help you with color combinations for use in dyeing; just type in, "digital color wheel".

I prep the fiber by first placing it in a vinegar and water bath for at least an hour. This opens up the fibers to take in the dye. Sometimes, I let it sit overnight when I know I would rather dye in the morning.

I prepare the dye in many ways. For handpainted dyeing, I take a pasta sauce jar and I fill with 4 oz. of "hot" water; even though this is a cold water dye. I then take my measuring spoon, which is about 1/8 tsp, and measure out 6 spoons of dye. I take about a tablespoon of salt and plop it into the water/dye mixture. I cap it and shake the dickens out of it. Set aside. Usually when dyeing variegated roving or yarn, I prepare a couple more jars with different colors.

This is also the time when I experiment with the color. If I want a wine color, I use five-1/8 tsp of hot pink dye with one, 1/8th tsp of Black. If the color isn't exactly right, I either increase one or the other color until I get that right color. A test can be done with a Q-tip or other white fiberous item.

If handpainting fiber, I place the damp roving/yarn on sheets of plastic wrap. I take the nose bulb and take one color of the dye mixture and squeeze it onto a section of the fiber.

Once I am done, I wrap the painted fiber tightly with the plastic wrap. I place the bundle onto a rack that has been placed in my crockpot, which is partly filled with hot water. I let the bundle steam for about 1 hour or until the dye has exhausted and you see no more colored water in the bundle.

If I am dyeing a solid color, I mix my dye color in this proportion: for every 2 oz of fiber/yarn, I use 4 oz of water, plus six (6), 1/8 spoons of dye. I let the dye exhaust one of two ways (depends on my mood). I make the mixture in a large, glass pasta sauce jar and put the yarn inside to soak overnight. Or I put the dye mixture into the crockpot on low for a few hours, or until the dye exhausts. If you have a lot of fiber to dye, then the crockpot or other dye pot method is better. If not, the jar is a great method.

This skein was dyed overnight in a jar because it is only 200+ yards of fingering weight yarn. I did have to add more dye in the areas where the skein was tied too tightly. Note to you and myself, don't tie the skein too tightly or white spots will remain and it will take longer to get your results; thereby not fulfilling your need to knit socks any sooner.

Shaved Ice Une, Fini!

2008-02-16T11:03:00.004-06:00

I have finished plying the first skein of Shaved Ice. I still have to set the twist, which I will do very soon. But for now, here it is (details to come at a later time):

I didn't count the wraps, but I will after it dries; and I will do the WPI, as well. I am happy with the results, but would have liked to have all rovings spun and plied simultaneously. But I must be patient and not despair.

Here is a close up of the twist:

I am spending a relaxing day with the kiddos. I am a bit tired from the week and I am trying to enjoy the long, President's Day weekend. But I shall be back tomorrow, with some insight on my dyeing method--just for you, Necia!

Recovery

2008-02-15T16:26:00.003-06:00

I had strep throat last week. Either I gave it to Dh or he gave it to me. It was a nasty case. In which case, I didn't so much as get out of bed for exercise. I have yet to go to the treadmill, but I will. Tomorrow . . . I promise!

But in the meantime, slow and steady progress on my spinning for NaSpinMoMoRedux. I am happy to be at the wheel and plying the Shaved Ice. I am almost done with the first plied skein. Two more bobbins to spin and ply.

I got the dyeing bug the other day. I really wanted to dye some sock yarn. I found all my tools, and set out to create 3 skeins of 200 yards from one large skein from Wool2Dye4. I took out my Dylon dyes and dyed up 2 skeins in a Lime/Green-Green. I would have liked a uniform Green, but the first dye of Lime was too light, then the second dye of darker Green was not measured well enough. All the dye in the pot did exhaust, but I didn't make careful measurements.

I dyed a skein in hot pink for a pair of socks for Amazon. Only to discover that there were spots that didn't take; such as the areas where the skein was held together with waste yarn. I will be redyeing those spots.

I have a goal for myself. Next week is school vacation week. I plan to post everyday with pictures. Hold me to it!